Heating and ventilating means for motor cars



Get. 15, 1934. l c. R, MUELLER 399767959 HEATING ANDVENTILATNG MEANS FORMOTOR CARS Filed Feb. 27, 1950 AT ORNEY.

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Patented ct. G, 1934 .y

l'UrlflrED STATES;

A 1,976,95 Y y y i HEATING AND yvi:N'rrmi'rnvd MEANS Foa Y Moron CARS YL Christian R, MuellerDetroit, Mich.'

'Y Application February 2'7, 19st, serial No. 431,720 s camas;(015257-241) This invention provides simple and inexpensive but superiormeans for utilizing the heat'ofa part of the fresh air which has passedthroughv any radiator such as isusually provided nearthe `front of anautomotive vehicle, in `heating the from the radiator, means forsecuring the for-1 ward or inlet end of a conduit in such a position,

`Vrelative to the mentioned unit, as to permit the vanes of the usualfan, as driven from the automobile engine, freely to swing, in theirusual roitat-ion, past an outlet opening from the heater and the inletopening to said conduit, thereby advancing pure and suitably warmed airtoward said inlet opening in large volume and preferably overflowing thesame in such manner as to maintain a positive pressure withinthe car andobviate any admission of foul air thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to pro-k vide means,preferably'subject to manual or other f adjustment, for retarding orlimiting the advance of airthrough said heater in such manner as to varyor control the temperature imparted; and preferred embodiments of theair-receiving heater unit, adapted to be secured to the inner face of aVradiator bymere bolts extendingtherespacedrelationship thereto,-anoutlet from' said pan, opposite the inlet tosaid conduit, beingof suchsize and position as to assure the mentioned `j delivery of heated pureair into said conduit sub' stantially without a mixture of impure airfrom under the engine hood.

Another object of thisinventionis'to provide.'

for use in connection with. said heater or inde'- pendentlyrthereoilaspecial airvdelivery device suitablefor connection with the inner end ofthe mentioned conduitand adaptedto be supported from aV dash or otherpartition or wall of aV car bodyin such a manner as to favorably delivertheV stream' of air advanced through said conduit intoa car;v and saiddelivery device may include not only means for engagement of thementioned partitionA and conduit but also Vdeflectors, saiddeflectorsbeing preferably integral with the delivery device andpositioned to deect the air delivered therefrom, damper means is alsoprovided for regulating the rate of advance of the delivered airorclosing it off entirely.

Other objects of the present invention, including the optional use of anextensible and contractile flexible tube as the mentioned conduit be--description of an illustrative embodiment of the said invention, takenin connection with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, inwhich Fig. 1 is a sideview of the engine of an automotive vehicle withthe conventionally associated dash, hood and radiator shown therewith,certain parts being shown in cross section to illus# trate certaindetails more clearly.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view, taken substantially as indicated bythe arrow 2 of Fig. 1, showing onefavcrable position and mode ofattachment ofthe air heating and receiving unit.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view, corresponding to the upper lefthand portion of Fig. 2 but withthe radiator omitted and parts brokenaway. v'

vFig.v4 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially as indicatedby the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.;

Fig. 5 is a rear or end elevational View of a delivery unit including adiffuser, this view being taken' substantially as indicated by thevarrow 5 of Fig. l.

Atween said heating device and said delivery 'de-ly vice, may be bestappreciated from the following -Fig. 6 is a side elevational view, takensubstantially asindicated by the arrow 6 of Fig- 5., Fig-7 is ahorizontal sectional View, taken substantially as' indicated by the line7 7 of Fig. 6; and Fig.8 is an elevational viewof a modied form of thevreceiving plate unit one form of which :ls-illustrated in Fig. 3, partsbeing'` broken away toillustrate certain details more clearlyi Y As-willbe immediately appreciated uponinspection of Fig. l, the illustratedform of the present invention includes, beneath a hood which protects anengine E, a conduit C eXtending'sub-- stantially parallel therewith; anair-receiving heater unit I-I secured to'a radiator' R and spaced fromthe forward end of the conduit C; and also a so-called diffuser unit D,at the rear or inner end of said conduit, Vthe forward end oi theconduit C being spacedfrom the unit H to permit the blades Vof the fan Fto rotate between the forward end of the conduit C and the unit H. f

Referring iirst to details of the illustratedV heater unit I-Loneadvantageous position thereof being clearlyindicated in Figs. 1 and 2,details relationship to the pan 10.

of its preferred construction are shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as including anair chamber in the form of a'pan 10, this being provided with a nange11' and with an ,outlet opening 12, the pan 10 being secured to the rearsurface of the [radiator R by bolts 13. as secured yto the panlr Vbybolts 16 and -as includnga rearwardlyextending web. 1'7A and a splitcollar 18, may beemployedtl secure let end 19 of the 'conduit C in adesired spaced.

` "fjpreviou'sly mentioned. The extensibility and re- In order to permitreliance upon any usual fan. F, as commonly provided to assure adesiredv ad- Fig. 4) the heating unit' HV is so positioned'ithat' thementioned outlet opening `12 `and thejinletV e opening to conduitC areentirely or'niainly with-'"' in the radius of theV vanes.. orblades2`1zofthe fan F; and the length of the web 17 of the bracket i..

15 andthe position of the collar 18 upon Ytheinletendof the conduit Careintended tobe such asv merely to *affordV a 'safe'working vclearancefor-- said fanxblades, the result being that suitably heated- 4 freshaire-is notr only. advanced into said i .As a means `of predeterminingthe heatingef-- feet obtained by' the vrdescribed construction,

means such as a foraminous plate 25, shown as retained between thementioned flanges 11 and the radiator R, a slidably adjustable plate 26is retainedin positionby means ofmlugs 27and 28-Wlhich are struckfinwardlyfromthe rear :pora tioniofgthe panVlrO may beemployed, yand theuse of a material such as` a"resiliently contractile type of flexiblevtubing Vfior 'the conduitC vmayserve not only to obviate the necessityfor exact; alignment or `other `careful positioning of the Y deliveryunit D, relatively to the heating unit or other'partition 29;

H, but also :to arid-in the retention of the mentioned partsfin theirassembled vc,relationslfiip by.

Vdrawing an outwardly. extending collar-3 4which is provided on theoutward rear portion; ofthe delivery unit D, into engagement Ywith ladash l Corning now'to details :of the preferredc'onstruction of thedelivery unit-IN1; 'thisY is `shown ,l comprising a,substantiallycylindrical portion V30,

adaptedto receivetherear end 31 of the conduitY 'Y erwan, which itmaybenennneeted by means such as a bolt 32) and also asubstantiallyrec-ykV tangular and downwardly Ainclined portion 133,1@

collar- 34v may be :formed on theoutergperiphery of, the delivery, unitbetween the cylindrical portion, 30 and the downwardly inclined' portion33,

` the .downwardlylinclined portion .being prefer-1. ably provided notonly; with a damper 35,-manip-A ulable by a handle-36, but also` withVapluralitypf downwardly inclined and integrar orgotherY deiiectors orlbafflesY 317.*v n y l f y It will be understood that theprovision oflcooperating flow controlA means comprisingY the damperv 35, theapertured plate 25 and ,tlie slidable plate 26 ofthe. respectveunits Dand permits the rate ofilowoffresh airto'the ycarto be controlledindependently 'oftheheating thereof; but thatsuchdetails asftheprovision oa? Meanssuch as a bracket 15, shown` thecan oftheradia'tor is,-blocked off in cold weathen,

rearwardly extending thumb piece 38 u'pon the plate 26, if the latter isused at all, or the spacingv VVmentof bolts or screws 40 or resilientfingers 41 (shown as retained by bolt 32) in holding, or helping to.l1old, the collar 34 linengagement with any',I supporting partition 29,are of relatively subordinate importanoe as compared with featuressiliency of the iiexible tubing used as conduit C will, however, be seento facilitate installation of Vance of cooling air througha radiatorRl(seej.a.

character in any one of a great variety of cars; .tofperrrlit amisalignment of parts; and also, in

a standardized'*organization of the described canseY the conduit isstretched in installation, to contribute-to the retention of the collar34 against -the partition 29. No cutting operation other thanspecifici-use;V and an exit for dustfrom pan 10k may bep-provided, as byan outlet jat 43; but itis intended that the Ydelivery ofA fresh andmoderately warmed air through the unit D shall be such as toobviate, bycreating slight positive pressure withinithe car, lall danger ofadmission of cornbustiongases, orof gases laden with odors such as;arise fromr theheating oqlubricating oils, to It will be obvious that,in case any part no obstruction should be placed in front of the heatingunit H; and itis-suggested that, for a Ventilating eiect, the damper 36be kept wideV openunlessgthe'cargbecomes too warm. As to adaptation towarm weathenit is suggested that if reliance upon partial 'dismantlingis :preferred to arelianceupon readjus'tment, only the conduit` C,'orsaid. conduit and said heating unit, be removed; ,butthe-retention ofall parts in place,

Vthe .damper being closed, may ordinarily be preferred.V 1 i In.applieants present invention, the positioning ofiA the frontend oftheconduit in spaced relationfromthe heating unitwith-the fan disposedto revolve between the heating unit and the` front end of theiconduit,provides a heating device I in whichair willbe pumped bythe fan into theconduit by which it is conducted to the vehicle body, wheneverthe engineis operating regardless of kwhether the ,automotive vehicle be movingorfstanding sstill.v In this connection, ,it vshould perhaps be ,furtheremphasized that although the temperature impartedltofthe air dependsupon V openingsspacedfarther` apart or closer together 'as-may bedesiredor,` a ,pair of apertured and 'slidably related plates 25, 25- may`accordingly" be usedthe latterv construction being suggested inlig.8.-`

The indicated preference for a rearward position of the plate or plates25 should not be understood to preclude use of a plate disposed in frontof the radiator or the use of a so-called louvreor shutter front; norshould it be supposed that the showing of iiXed attachment bolts 13 asextending through plates 25, 25' need preclude a relative ,adjustment ofsaid plates, or of any suitable shutter or louvre elements, bythermostatic or other remote-control means of any usual or preferredtype; but it is not'recommended that the pan 10 be eliminated unless'theblades 21 of fan F be caused to work much closer to the radiator thanhas heretofore been customaryonly a safe working clearance being lefttherebetween; and, in such case, the forward-end of the conduit 19should be advanced accordinglyg--in order that the air delivery fromthefan may be utilized as effectively as possible. As indicated, the fanblades are intended always to pass within efcient .suction range of aheated surface and to pass the entrance to a conduit leading directlyinto a can-said entrance being not only `substantially within the radiusoi the fan but within the eiicient discharge range thereof; and the aXisof the Afront end of the conduit need not be parallel with the aXis ofthe fan, but should be parallel with the streamlines from the fan.

In conclusion, applicant places emphasis upon not only the describeddetails or" support, interconnection, spacing, internal construction andadjustable control, but also upon the fact that the relative sizes, thespacing and the substantially concentric positions of the openingsthrough which air is vinwardly advanced from the aii` chamber of theheating unit into the conduit C are intended to be such as to assure thecreation ofy a positive pressure of fresh air, by any kusual ian F, notonly within but around the'entrance to said conduit,-thus excludingundesired gases, as above mentioned. `Relying upon principles which haveheretofore been utilized in heating dwellings and the like, it will beseen that applcants device serves to force a large volume of warm air,rather than a small volume of very hot air, into the car; and that thedescribed organization may accordingly be broadly referred to asproviding means whereby an unenclosed radiator fan is rendered eifectiveto advance through the radiator and into a conduit that is supportedbetween said radiator and a partition or wall element of the car body,exclusively fresh air.

Although the foregoing description has included complete details of butone embodiment of the present invention, it should be understood notonly that various features thereof might be independently employed butalso lthat numerous modifications, additional to any suggested herein,Amight easily be devised by workers informed of the foregoing-all withoutdeparture from the scope of the invention as indicated in the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A heating and Ventilating apparatus for an automotive vehiclecomprising a Water cooling` outlet of said air accumulating receptacleand tol the rear of said fan, said accumulator outlet being positionedto discharge a jet of relatively slightly compressed air directly towardthe end of said air conduitacross the path of said revolving ian wherebysaid fan is utilized to accelerate the passage of said air jet throughsaidv conduit to said passenger compartment.

2. A heating and Ventilating apparatus for an` automotive vehiclecomprising a water cooling radiator and a revolving ian positioned atthe rear thereof and adapted to draw air therethrough, an airaccumulating receptacle secured to the rear of said radiator having arestricted outlet positioned forwardly of and within the radius of saidian for receiving and slightly compressing heated air passing out ofsaid radiator, an air conduit leading from the passenger compartment ofsaid vehicle through-the` engine hood to a point rearwardly spaced fromthe outlet of said air accumulating receptacle and to the rear of saidfan, said accumulator outlet being positioned to discharge a jet ofrelatively slightly compressed air directly toward the end of said airconduit across the path of said revolving ian whereby said ian isutilized to accelerate the passage of said air jet through said conduitto said passenger compartment, and said accumulator outlet beingadaptedto discharge a jet of relatively slightly compressed air of greatervolume than said conduit end is adapted to receive whereby the volume oisaid jet of air will overow the end of said conduit and excludetherefrom undesirable vapors or air within said engine hood. Y

3. A heating and Ventilating apparatus for an automotive vehicle,comprising a water cooling radiator, means for conducting heated airfrom the rear of said radiator to the part oi said vehicle to be heated,including an air accumulating receptacle secured to the rear of saidradiator and an air flow controlling screen interposed between saidradiator and said air accumulating receptacle.

' CHRISTIAN R. MUELLER.

